The Necklace
by The Thorned Rose
Summary: For year's Kaiba thought his childhood friend was dead... murdered in cold blood by his stepfather, Gozaburo. But after finding a clue of her disappearance he is not so sure. Could this necklace be the key to melting his icy heart?
1. Chapter 1

The Necklace Chapter 1

Kaiba took a swig from his glass of whiskey as he watched her from the corner of the ballroom. She was beautiful, even prettier than he remembered. She tugged gently on the sleeve of her date's coat to catch his attention. Her date happened to be the host of tonight's party, Jonathan Timberland. Timberland silenced her and continued his conversation. She then smiled halfheartedly and excused herself before leaving. Kaiba watched her go upstairs into a room. When he thought no one was looking, he followed her up the steps and walked right into the room like he owned the place, what he saw he wouldn't soon forget.

Anzu sat on the bed holding a breathing mask on her face. She turned her head when she heard the door open. Her eyes went wide when she saw Seto Kaiba standing before her. "What are you doing here Kaiba?" she asked nervously.

Kaiba looked at her and realized, that he didn't have an answer. So, he changed the subject and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Anzu rolled her eyes, 'he sure hasn't changed she thought to herself.' Anzu didn't say a word, instead she just nervously started to fiddle with her necklace. Kaiba looked at the necklace in shock. The necklace had the letters S&T on it. "Where did you get this?" he asked as he grabbed the golden locket and inspected it.

Anzu wasn't sure what his fascination was with her locket was, but she was glad that he changed the subject, so she answered, "Honestly, I don't know. I had it on me when I was adopted. I don't remember where it came from." She then heard footsteps and stood up. She pushed him towards the closet and said, "Hide."

As she shut the door with him inside, the fear she felt caused her to have an attack. She started to cough violently and wheeze. She quickly grabbed her oxygen mask to try to calm down. Jonathan walked in and approached her, to her surprise he smacked her across the face. She fell face first into the bed and he screamed, "How dare you embarrass me in front of all those people."

"I'm sorry Mr. Timberland, I was getting sick again. I didn't want to pass out in front of all those people," she confessed nervously.

Timberland grabbed her by the wrist and replied, "With the cost of that medicine I get you, you will serve me until your very last breath."

She nodded and he pulled her out the room.

Kaiba opened the closet door when he heard them leave. He carefully snuck back to where the party was being held. Kaiba looked for the two and saw them dancing together. He looked at the necklace on her neck and reached into his wallet. There was a photograph of a very young Seto Kaiba and a little girl. The necklace was definitely the same, and the resemblance between Anzu and the girl was uncanny. It had to be her.

Anzu looked deathly pale as she danced with Jonathan. Kaiba walked up to the pair and asked, "Mind if I cut in."

Kaiba knew that Timberland greatly depended on Kaiba Corporation's partnership, so he wouldn't refuse. Timberland gave him Anzu's hand and walked away towards the bar. Kaiba slowed the dance down and wasted no time, "What kind of contract does Timberland have you tangled in?"

"Why would you care," she asked cautiously.

Kaiba frowned and said, "How about I guess then? You are in a relationship with him in exchange for some kind of medicine or treatment that is keeping you alive. So, despite the fact that he treats you like garbage, you stay with him in order to live. Did I get it right?"

Anzu was startled and tried to back away, but Kaiba spun her into his chest and continued, "I am not here to humiliate you Anzu. I'm trying to help you." He slipped a card into her hand and said, "Come by Kaiba Corp. tomorrow, at any time. You will be brought up immediately to my office and we will discuss a way out of the Timberland contract."

She quickly hid the card in her dress and gasped when she saw blood on Kaiba's shirt. She must have coughed up blood when he spun her into him. Kaiba saw blood on the side of her lips and handed her his handkerchief. "Your lipstick smudged," he said nonchalantly, even though he knew exactly what it was. He then used his jacket to hide the stain, "See you tomorrow."

…

That night, Anzu returned to her room and quickly hid the business card into the pocket of a sweater. She climbed into bed and prayed that Jonathan would go to the office that night. Tears rolled down her face and it became hard to breathe. She slammed her fist on the bed and reached for her breathing machine in frustration. In her mind she asked herself over and over, "Should I risk going to see Kaiba, or should I stay here."

Jonathan walked through the door at that moment and grabbed her by the front of her nightgown and screamed, "What is your relationship with Seto Kaiba?"

"W…we went to high school together, that's it," she answered truthfully. Jonathan lifted her in the air and threw her against the door. Her face hit the doorknob on the way down, leaving a nasty bruise.

Finally, she concluded, 'I can't go on living like this.'

…

The next day…

Mokuba walked in the office and said, "Hey big brother, what did you call me here for today?"

Kaiba looked from the window to his brother and asked, "Do you remember Téa?" Kaiba then returned his gaze back out the window clearly looking for something.

"You mean the little girl we used to play with as kids? Of course, I remember her. Téa and her parents tried to save us from Gozaburo."

Kaiba nodded and said, "For years, I thought that Gozaburo killed her in the fire with her parents. But, I am not so sure anymore."

"Why, did you find a clue about her disappearance big brother?" Mokuba asked.

Kaiba nodded and said, "her necklace."

Finally, in the distance, he saw a girl with short brown hair approaching the building from down the road. He immediately got up from his desk and walked over to the elevator. Mokuba followed him and while they were going down, Kaiba said, "I am going to offer her a job at the manor. Give her a tour when she feels up to it."

Mokuba nodded and decided to leave, knowing that he was going to have to set up a room for her. In the back of his mind Mokuba wondered, 'Could this really be the girl?'

Kaiba reached the bottom floor and saw her walking through the front door of the office building. He approached her and saw the fresh bruise on her face. He reached up to tilt her face for a better look and frowned when she flinched. He grabbed her wrist and brought her up to the top floor. She sat on a couch in his office and he said, "Hold on a second." He came back with an ice pack and asked, "Did you bring the contract?"

She nodded and handed it to him. He looked it over. The medicine that Timberland was buying her cost $10,000 per month. He let out a breath of relief and said, "The good news, is that you can leave this contract at any time. He probably figured that you wouldn't be able to find another way to obtain the medicine, so he didn't try to solidify the contract. All you have to do is to end the relationship."

Anzu shook her head and replied, "No, he will kill me if I do that."

"Not if I am standing next to you, when you do it." Kaiba said calmly, he then continued, "I will be willing to pay for all your necessities including: medicine, food, and housing if you keep an eye on Mokuba, and help him with his school work."

"That's it?" she asked skeptically.

Kaiba nodded and said, "You can move in today."

"But, I haven't even packed," she replied.

"Is there anything that you have that is irreplaceable?" Kaiba asked.

Anzu immediately reached up to feel if her necklace was on, when she realized it was on, she shook her head no.

Kaiba smiled at her reaction and said, "Then just leave it. I will get you any clothes or other items that you need. It is not worth getting attacked. Now make a list of medical necessities that you use on a regular basis. I want to pick it up before we get back to the manor. Everything else, I will send you with either Mokuba or Roland to get tomorrow."

Anzu then looked up and asked, "Kaiba, I am not trying to sound ungrateful or anything but, how can I know that I can trust you. We haven't exactly been on good terms in the past."

Kaiba looked at the necklace and explained, "If I were to do anything to hurt you, it would hurt Mokuba, and I would never do anything to hurt Mokuba. Besides, I am not writing a contract right now, am I?"

Anzu was satisfied with his answer, so she held her hand out and said, "I accept, thank you Kaiba."

Kaiba shook her hand and looked away as he saw tears form in her eyes. He handed her a box of tissue off his desk and said, "Come on, let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

Kaiba's doctor, Monica was sitting on the couch drinking a glass of wine. Kaiba had informed her that he was bringing her a patient to look at. When Kaiba walked through the front door with a young woman, the doctor almost dropped her glass when he saw how close to the girl he was. The girl was holding a breathing mask to her face, trying to catch her breath. Kaiba had his hand on her back incase she should tumble. The scene looked almost… intimate…

Monica smiled and encouraged the girl to come sit. When Téa sat, Monica immediately started to question and evaluate her. Kaiba handed her the list of medicine that Téa said that she took on a regular basis. As Monica looked the medicine over she said, "Yes, I can order these for you. How long have you had this problem with your lungs?"

Anzu replied, "One of my last memories was a horrible fire that killed my parents. I started having breathing problems after the fire. The orphanage didn't have enough money to pay for the medicine, so it progressively got worse. When I was 16, I got a job and tried to save to get the treatment that I needed, but it was never enough… I did some things I am not proud of to get the medicine and slowly it started to get better with each dosage until I moved in with Timberland. Although I was able to take the medicine daily, it seemed to stop working… Honestly doctor, I don't think there is anything you can do for me. I think the problem is beyond repair at this point.

"Don't underestimate Dr. Monica. She is the best doctor there is," Mokuba said as he came down the stairs. When he saw Anzu with the locket on her neck, he smiled and thought, 'Oh my god, this is better than I thought. If Anzu turns out to be Téa, my big brother is certain to fall for her. After all, Seto secretly had a thing for her in high school.'

Dr. Monica asked, "Do you have the medicine with you that Mr. Timberland gave you?"

Anzu nodded and dug in her purse to find the pill bottle. Dr. Monica poured the pills into her hand and looked at them, she then looked up at Kaiba and Anzu before saying, "These pills don't look right. I am going to get you the prescription that you need today. Do you mind if I take these down to the lab to find out what's in these pills?"

Anzu shrugged and Kaiba nodded, "Just get her the pills tonight."

Before Monica left, she informed Anzu that she would be stopping by tomorrow for blood work. As Kaiba was walking Monica out the front door, Monica asked, "Is this the same girl you talked about as a child?"

"I think so," Kaiba replied flatly.

Monica smiled and said, "I will do everything I can for her." Kaiba nodded and watched her get into the car before returning inside.

Mokuba was sitting next to Anzu rubbing her back as she started coughing violently into a tissue. Just as she did the night of the party, she coughed up blood. Kaiba ran out the front door and flagged the doctor down right as she was about to leave the gate. The doctor got out and ran inside. When she did, she saw Anzu had completely lost consciousness.

"What happened Mokuba?" Monica asked as she checked her vitals.

"I just asked her if the name Téa meant anything to her…she started to panic and cough up blood. When Seto ran after you, she collapsed."

Monica asked Kaiba to carry her upstairs. Once she was placed in a guest bedroom, Monica set up an IV and turned to Mokuba to say, "Let's not do that again for a while. Okay?"

Mokuba sighed and nodded, "It wasn't intentional."

"I know, but who knows what this girl has gone through?" Monica replied.

Kaiba nodded in response and said, "Let's worry about that after she has recovered some."

…

Anzu woke up and didn't recognize the room she was in. She looked around and found Kaiba sitting at a desk, with his head resting on his open laptop. He was fast asleep. She sat up in the bed and looked around. She saw a throw blanket folded neatly on top of her comforter. Anzu stood up, picked up the blanket, and placed it on top of Kaiba. She then walked out the bedroom to try to find the kitchen. When she saw that she had to go downstairs, she let out an irritated sigh. She turned back around in defeat and just about jumped out of her skin when she saw Kaiba standing there.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow at her reaction and asked, "Why are you out of bed?"

Sheepishly she replied, "I…I got hungry." She expected him to get angry, but to her surprise he said, "Go back to bed."

She looked down sadly and did as she was told. 'I guess I will just have to wait until morning,' she thought to herself.

When he saw her return to her room, he went downstairs to heat up some soup left over from dinner. He heated it in the microwave and carried it up to her room. Her eyes widened in shock and she said, "Thank you, Kaiba."

Kaiba ignored her thanks and replied, "Until you recover some, stay away from the stairs. There is a button on the night stand to call for a maid, and I am normally in the room next door to yours." With that he grabbed his laptop and left, presumably to the room next to hers.

When Anzu finished eating she smiled, maybe living with Kaiba won't be so bad.

…

The next day, Anzu woke up to the sound of knocking. Dr. Monica was standing there with a tray of food and a briefcase. "When was the last time you ate?" she asked as she sat the food on the desk.

"11:00 at night, maybe… it wasn't past midnight," Anzu answered.

The doctor pulled a needle and some bottles out of her briefcase. "Good, I need to get some blood from you." After she got the bottles of blood she asked "Did Kaiba pick up your medicine last night?" Téa nodded and handed her the bottle. Monica smiled when she saw the pills looked the way that they were supposed to. Monica said, "Tonight, when Mr. Kaiba gets home from work, we will talk about the pills you brought from Timberland's house."

"Was there something wrong with them?" Anzu asked.

Monica nodded and said, "It's no wonder why you haven't recovered. But, I don't want you to concern yourself with that now. I am certain that you will start to feel better now that you have what you need."

Anzu nodded and let the Doctor finish her work. The doctor put her stethoscope on Anzu's back to listen to her lungs and smiled. You are already sounding a little better. It is slight, but there is a difference from when I heard you last night. The doctor then put her supplies away and said, "Once you finish breakfast, Mokuba will help you down the stairs, and we will be taking you shopping.

Anzu's eyes opened in surprise, "Oh, you're coming with us?"

Monica smiled and nodded, "Yes, Kaiba asked me to, just in case you should have another attack. Shopping can be strenuous work after all." Anzu smiled and nodded until she heard the second part of the conversation. "Besides, with how much Mr. Kaiba pays me to be on the clock 24/7, I would give him a lap dance if he asked." Anzu's eyes went wide at Monica's declaration and she started to laugh. "Oh, please child don't take everything I say to heart. I may not look like it, but I am almost twice his age." She then handed Anzu the tray and said, "Go ahead and eat. We will be here when you are ready."

…

Anzu carefully came downstairs with Mokuba to go shopping. She didn't want to admit it, but she already felt worn out from going down the stairs. Anzu stepped into the limo with the two and leaned her head against the window. Despite not telling them how she felt, Mokuba knew immediately that she was not feeling right. Back when she was in high school with Seto, Mokuba recalled many times when his brother complained many times about how talkative she was.

Anzu sensed his gaze and opened her eyes to look at him. "Please put your seatbelt on Mokuba," she said before leaning her head against the window.

"Why, barely anyone wears seatbelts while riding in a limo?" Mokuba asked.

Anzu looked back up at him and replied, "Because your brother would kill me if anything happened to you. I am sure that Kaiba makes you do it when you are in the car with him, so please do the same with me."

Mokuba let out an irritated sigh but did as she asked.

When they pulled up to the mall, they stepped out the car and Anzu went into the first department store that she could find. She walked to the women's clothing department and browsed through the clothes, she found a few cute blouses and skirts. As she went into the changing room with the clothes, the smell of smoke hit her lungs. Someone was smoking in the stall next to her. She started to cough, and blood came out her mouth and on her shirt, she had just changed into. The pain in her lungs was unbearable. Her body slid down the mirror and onto the floor. Anzu called out to Monica for help. Monica climbed underneath the stall to see what was going on and quickly yelled for Mokuba to come help her. They carried Anzu out the dressing rooms and the alarm went off. As security ran to the scene Monica yelled, "We are not stealing anything. Someone was smoking in the dressing room and she collapsed."

An employee came out of the dressing room and confessed, "It was me. I am sorry miss."

Anzu closed her eyes and nodded, "It's fine."

"No, it is not fine," a man said as he approached the scene. "Ms. Lillian, you're fired."

Anzu slowly sat up with the help of Monica, "Please S…sir, that's not necessary. I am not upset about it. Besides, I accidentally damaged your shirt."

The owner was taken back that she was worried about the product that she damaged more than herself. He walked around the corner to get the grabber and removed the tag that was dangling from the shirt. Don't worry about it, just go home and take care of yourself." The owner helped Mokuba take Anzu to the car and handed her a card. "I am terribly sorry for what happened in our establishment today. If there is anything I can do to help you, just give this number a call."

Anzu nodded and proceeded to climb into the car. On the ride back to the mansion, Anzu asked, "Mokuba, is your brother going to be upset that I didn't do what he asked."

"You mean buy clothes? Of course not. It is not your fault you got sick. Besides, once we get you back home, I am going to call Serenity and Mai and ask them to buy some clothes for you until you are well enough to get your own." Mokuba replied.

Anzu chuckled thinking, 'Lord, those two are going to end up with two opposite ends of the spectrum, conservative and sexy clothing. I will be lucky to get a single matching outfit between the two of them.'

…

When Kaiba got home, he was surprised to see Mai and Serenity sitting in his living room. He was about to snap at them when he saw Anzu smile… It had been ages since he last saw her smile. Anzu noticed him enter and turned pale, "I'm sorry Kaiba for inviting people without asking you. They helped me get clothes today."

Kaiba grunted and walked into the kitchen.

"That means it's fine Anzu," Mokuba explained to her.

"So, how did you come to live with Kaiba anyway?" Serenity asked curiously.

Anzu didn't tell them about her illness, so she was uncertain about what to say.

Mai continued, "Yeah, if I would have known you were currently dating Seto Kaiba, I would have gotten you way more revealing clothing."

Mokuba burst into fits of laughter from Mai's comment. He then said, "She is my tutor."

Anzu nodded, hoping that they wouldn't ask her why they had to shop for her today. Kaiba came out his office and said, "Mokuba, it is time for you to start your homework."

Anzu stood up and gave her friends a hug. "Thank you for helping me today. I have to get to work now, but maybe we can all meet up for coffee soon."

Mai smiled and replied, "Sounds like fun. Make sure you call the boys to let them know that you are back in town."

"Of course, please don't mention to them that I am living with Kaiba right now. I don't want Joey blowing a gasket." Anzu said.

Both girls nodded, said their goodbyes, and left. Anzu let out a sigh of relief and followed Mokuba into the office to help him with homework.


	3. Chapter 3

…

Kaiba walked into the kitchen to find Monica sitting with a cup of coffee and waiting for his return.

"How did she do today?" he asked.

"She had an attack at the very first store. That is why her friends were here today, Mokuba had them pick out some clothes for her." Monica replied, "But I have something much more important to talk about." Kaiba nodded and waited. She continued, "As I suspected those pills Timberland gave to her weren't what they were supposed to be."

Kaiba's hands tightened into fists and he said with a sadistic smile, "Well then, I suppose we will be having an extra guest for dinner tonight." He then picked up the phone to invite one additional guest to his table.

…

Anzu walked into the kitchen and almost fainted with shock. Kaiba and Timberland were sitting on opposite sides of the table. She grabbed onto the doorframe to support herself. 'Oh god, he is going to send me back,' she thought to herself.

Kaiba stood up and walked over to her, he whispered, "You have nothing to worry about," before helping her to the chair next to him. He then asked Timberland, "So Timberland, how are your stocks doing?"

Timberland looked mildly surprised by his question, he was expecting Kaiba to ask him to take Anzu back. Despite the surprise he answered, "My stocks are growing constantly thanks to our partnership. Your inventions are a great support to my industry."

Kaiba nodded and noticed Anzu's hands shaking in fear. Mokuba and Dr. Monica walked in at that moment so Kaiba quickly introduced Dr. Monica to Timberland.

Kaiba then continued, "The reason I called you here today is Dr. Monica made some discoveries pertaining to Anzu's illness. Since she was living with you so long, it would only be fair that you know."

Anzu's hands started to shake more violently under the table. Kaiba couldn't take seeing her like this anymore, so he took his hand and placed it on top of hers under the table. She turned her head towards him and was shocked when she saw concern in his eyes. She took a deep breath and listened to what Monica had to say.

Monica pulled the pills out of her briefcase and asked, "Mr. Timberland, when Anzu came to us, she handed me this bottle of pills. I wanted to know, do you know what these pills are made of."

Timberland smiled and answered, "Sugar."

Anzu sucked in a deep breath at his answer and stood up, "Sugar? You made my life living hell for two years and you were giving me sugar pills?" Her breathing started to become uneven and black spots started to cloud her vision.

Kaiba stood up and handed her his handkerchief. He picked her up and carried her to the couch in the next room to rest. He walked back in the kitchen and said loud enough for Anzu to hear as well, "The reason I called you hear Timberland was because, I know what you did that girl, but I want to know why?"

Timberland smiled and replied, "She was an easy target. Anzu is beautiful, young, naive, and scared. Those things combined made her easy to deceive."

Kaiba then said, "Well, in case it wasn't already perfectly obvious, she will not be returning to your…care anytime soon. Also, I wanted to tell you that I no longer own stock in your company. So, you will no longer be receiving blueprints from my company."

Timberland stood up in anger, "What?!"

Kaiba smirked and replied, "Your new business partner is a man named Joey Wheeler… Good Luck."

Kaiba walked into the living room to check on Anzu. She still looked scared, but her hands stopped shaking. Timberland stormed out the door right after Kaiba's announcement. But before he left he said, "Gozaburo should have killed you when he had the chance." The door slammed and he was gone.  
…

Kaiba sat in his office looking at an old photograph. The picture was of Mokuba, Téa, and him eating ice cream. It was one of the few pictures that he had as a child. Roland had taken it and given it to him when he was freed from Gozaburo's tyranny.

Kaiba observed the photograph close, every detail of Téa's face matched Anzu's, so why didn't she remember anything? Kaiba heard a knock on his office door. He turned around in his desk chair and saw Anzu standing in the doorway. She approached him with a plate of cookies and milk, and said, "Mokuba asked for a snack, so I thought you might want one as well."

Kaiba wasn't going to say anything to her, but at the last minute he changed his mind, "Anzu, is there anything that you remember from your childhood?"

Anzu turned to face him and said, "I remember the fire and…"

"And what?" Kaiba asked.

Instead of answering his question, she asked, "Is Gozaburo still alive?"

Kaiba stood up and approached her, she was starting to shake, and he didn't want her to have another coughing episode. "No Anzu, he died a year or two after the fire… You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but did he do something to you?" Kaiba held onto both of her arms and looked her straight in the eyes as he waited for her answer.

Anzu couldn't take his intense gaze so she looked away and shakily answered, "He is the one who forced me to change my name. He sold me to a family and said that if I ever revealed my true identity to anyone, he would kill me…Now, it has been so long since I have been Téa, I can barely remember anything about my life before. I don't remember my parents or my friends… I don't even know my last name."

"Gardener," Kaiba answered, "Your last name was Gardener."

Téa's eyes opened wide in surprise, "How do you know that?"

Kaiba handed her the photograph and said, "When we were kids, you lived next door. When Gozaburo was away of business, Mokuba and I would sneak away from our caregivers to play with you by your house. Those few short days were some of the happiest days from our childhood." Kaiba then handed her the photograph.

"This is me?" Anzu asked in surprise.

Her breathing got heavy and Kaiba knew that they needed to stop tonight. Kaiba looked away from her as if he was avoiding her, "We can talk about this more tomorrow. You should get some sleep."

Anzu nodded and started to leave, but before she left completely, she turned back around and said, "Thank you, Kaiba." Kaiba grunted and she left the room.

…

The next day, Anzu didn't come down for breakfast, so Kaiba walked upstairs to check on her before he left for work. He found her on the floor, running her hand underneath the bed. "What are you doing?" Kaiba asked.

Anzu sat up and explained, "My necklace is missing. I was checking to see if it maybe fell off me last night."

Kaiba looked at his watch and saw that he had a few minutes to help her look. So, he started to shake out the blankets on top of the bed. When it wasn't mixed in the bedsheets, he walked into the adjoining bathroom and looked around. He saw something glittering in the shower. He walked over and picked up the necklace. The chain was broken, but the charm was still attached. Kaiba picked it up, put it in his pocket and said, "I have to go Anzu, but you should take it easy. I am sure it will show up."

…

During his lunch break Kaiba stopped at a local jeweler and picked up a chain to replace the one that was broke. He had the charm polished as well while he was there. When he got back to his office, he looked at the locket on its chain. It sparkled just as brilliantly as it did when it was new. He smiled and placed the necklace back in his pocket…

Kaiba flipped open his laptop to find an email from Timberland, he opened the email with a smirk on his face and read, 'You traded 40% of my company for a cup of coffee?!'Kaiba started to laugh and thought to himself, 'I wonder how much he paid wheeler to get it back.'

…

Later that day, Kaiba came home to find Anzu asleep in a rocking chair on the gazebo. Mokuba was sitting next to her reading a story from his textbook. Kaiba quietly approached the two and asked Mokuba, "How has she been doing today?"

Mokuba frowned and replied, "She has been searching the house for her locket all day. Have you seen it?"

Kaiba pulled it out of his pocket and said, "The chain broke."

"Why didn't you tell her? She has been running herself ragged, not that it takes much… But still you should have said something Seto," Mokuba quietly scolded him.

Kaiba walked behind her and very gently hooked the necklace on her neck before saying, "I didn't want her to know..."

"Didn't want her to know that it broke or didn't want her to know that you care?" Mokuba questioned.

Kaiba made an irritated look and said, "I don't need to explain myself to you," before going inside.

…

Anzu woke up about a half hour later and asked Mokuba, "How's your homework coming?"

Mokuba replied, "Fine, but I am about to start working on my math."

Anzu nodded and said, "Lets go sit at the kitchen table then, so I can help you."

To her surprise, when she walked into the kitchen she saw Kaiba standing at the stove. "You know how to cook Kaiba?" she asked curiously.

Kaiba grunted in response.

Mokuba then explained, "Margaret called in sick, and Seto hates take out. It's not poisonous, I promise."

"Yours might be, Mokuba," he replied with a smirk. Out of habit, she reached up to her neck for her necklace, and was surprised to see that it was on her. "My God, I must be losing it. My necklace was on me this whole time Mokuba." She looked closer at it and wondered, 'Why does it look different?' She shook her head, figuring it was a figment of her imagination and said, "That's weird, it looks shinier all of a sudden."

"You're imagining things. It looks exactly the same as it always has," Kaiba said.

Anzu shrugged her shoulders and sat at the table with Mokuba. Kaiba turned back to cooking and smiled to himself. After all these years he had been searching for her, and she was right under his nose. He then thought about how he treated her in high school and frowned. If he would have known who she was back then, things could have been different. 'She definitely doesn't trust me, but she does trust Mokuba. I can use that to my advantage,' he thought to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

2 Months Later….

Anzu was slowly starting to feel stronger, but she still occasionally over did it… and today was one of those days. It was October 25th, Anzu found out from Mokuba that it was Kaiba's birthday. She wanted to do something to thank him for all he had done for her. So, while Mokuba the boys were gone, she slowly gathered the ingredients to bake a cake. She had to sit a few times to catch her breath, but so far so good.

She finally gathered all the ingredients at the kitchen table and stirred them together in a mixing bowl. She then carried the pan to the oven. As she waited, she decided to start cleaning up and putting away the ingredients. She grabbed the bag of flour and walked towards the cupboard when she felt a sharp pain in her side. The flour bag hit the floor exploding everywhere, making it harder to breathe. Anzu, now on the ground pulled her cell phone from her pocket and called Kaiba's cell phone.

"Kaiba speaking," he answered.

She tried to talk, but she was in too much pain.

Kaiba heard labored breathing and a groan on the other end. Originally, he thought it was a prank call or someone butt dialed him, until he looked at his caller id, and saw Anzu. He pulled up his security cameras in his home and saw her laying on the kitchen floor, "I'll be right there he said."

Kaiba grabbed his keys and rushed past his secretary saying, "Cancel all my meetings for today." As the elevator brought him to the first floor, he called Dr. Monica to meet him at the mansion.

When Kaiba made it to the mansion, he ran to the kitchen and found Anzu unconscious and covered in flour. "Anzu!" he said panicked. When she didn't respond, he pressed his hand to her neck to check for a pulse. He let out a sigh of relief when he felt her heartbeat. He then picked her up and carried her to the living room. Ms. Monica came shortly after and was able to revive her with some smelling salts.

Anzu looked around confused. She was still in pain, but it seemed to have subsided some, "What happened," she spoke in barely a whisper.

Kaiba looked on as Monica explained, "Kaiba found you unconscious in the kitchen? How are you feeling?"

Anzu gasped and said, "Oh no, the cake…It's probably ruined."

'Cake?' Kaiba thought, 'What is she talking about?'

That was when Roland came out from the kitchen and said, "The cake is fine Ms. Gardener."

Kaiba was then able to figure out what happened and screamed, "What the hell Anzu! I canceled all my meetings today because you had to bake a cake?!"

Anzu looked down guiltily and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause any trouble… I just…" She couldn't continue her sentence, so she just looked away and asked, "Roland, could you help me to my room? I am not feeling very well."

Roland placed down the cake and lifted her up, bringing her upstairs. As soon as Anzu was out of sight, Monica said, "You know Mr. Kaiba you can be a real asshole at times."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed and asked, "What's your problem now. Did I interrupt your soap opera, because the last time I checked, I pay you to be on the clock 24/7."

"I'm not talking about me… Anzu had that accident in the kitchen because she was trying to make you a birthday cake. And then you go screaming at her like a dog," Monica explained angrily, "It is no wonder why you haven't gotten any closer to her."

Kaiba went silent unsure of what to say…'Did she really go through all this for me?' he thought to himself. Suddenly feeling guilty he looked to Monica and asked, "What do I do?"

…

Kaiba walked up to her room agonizing on the inside at the thought of having to apologize to someone. When he reached her door, he noticed it was cracked. He walked in and noticed Anzu had fallen asleep. He quietly shut the door and walked back out. Roland was waiting for him in the hall and said, "If you don't want to tell her in person, I have a suggestion."

"I'm listening," Kaiba responded."

…

When Anzu woke up, she found some beautiful flowers in a vase on her nightstand. She sat up curiously and noticed a card tied to the vase. She opened up the card and read, "Don't go hurting yourself over me. I'm not worth the trouble. Feel better, Kaiba."

"A man of few words," Anzu mumbled to herself, "Oh well, it's still a nice gesture."

Anzu stood up from the bed and carefully walked down the stairs. She walked into the kitchen to find Dr. Monica sitting there.

"Hello Dr. Monica," she greeted, "Where's Kaiba?" she asked.

Monica sipped on his cup of coffee and said, "He went back to his office to finish a few things, but before he left, he ate a slice of your cake you baked."

Anzu bit her lip nervously and replied, "I hope he liked it. I really didn't mean to cause him all the trouble."

Monica let out a sigh and said, "If there is anything that boy likes, it's sweets. Kaiba, is a hard kid to read, but he really does care... You should have seen the look on his face when I walked in and found him tending to you on the couch. I have never seen him so scared in my life… But he's right about one thing, you shouldn't push yourself."

"Dr. Monica, can you tell me something?" Anzu asked.

"Sure, what do you need?" Monica replied with a smile.

"Why is Kaiba trying to help me? We never were very close in high school…Why now?" Anzu asked.

"That's something you need to ask Seto directly. But I can tell you, it has more to do with your time together as Téa than your time as Anzu."

…

Later that evening, Anzu heard a knock on her bedroom door. "Come in," she said as she sat up slightly in the bed. Kaiba walked in with a tray of food and a slice of the birthday cake. He sat her food on the bed and stood there for a moment, with a remorseful look on his face before saying, "You didn't come down for dinner... So, I thought you might be sick."

"I just wasn't very hungry," she explained, "but I appreciate you thinking about me."

Kaiba grunted and was about to leave, when he paused for a moment to say, "You should at least eat the cake. It's delicious."

Anzu smiled knowing what he was trying to say, and replied, "You're welcome. Happy Birthday Kaiba," He nodded and walked out the door.

…

Over the weekend, Kaiba came home from the office to find Mokuba curled up fast asleep next to Anzu. Kaiba turned his head sideways to read the title of the book that dangled from her hand. He smiled when he read, 'treasure island.' He walked over to the closet and pulled out a blanket to cover to cover the pair up before heading to his office.

Several minutes later, Kaiba heard a knock on the door, he looked up to see Anzu standing there, "Do have a minute?" Kaiba nodded and Anzu sat on the sofa in his office, "Since, it is the weekend, I was hoping you had some time to tell me, what were we like when we were kids? I don't remember anything about my life before the fire." she explained as she nervously ran her hands through her hair.

Kaiba let out a sigh and turned from his computer to face her, "Your parents were extremely kind individuals. Anytime Mokuba and I would come to visit, your mother would always make cookies. She always made them from scratch, so the smell filled the house…much like your cake did." he said with little emotion on his face.

He cracked a barely noticeable smile as he continued, "there was a playhouse in your backyard, that we used to pretend to be a family in. You were the stay at home mom, I was the busy dad, and Mokuba was the baby. We also used to pretend it was a castle from time to time."

Anzu beamed imagining what it was like. She then asked, "What about my father? Do you remember anything about him?"

Kaiba grimaced slightly and said, "He was also nice."

Mokuba walked in at that moment and said with a yawn, "What you aren't going to tell her that story? But, that's my favorite one!"

"Mokuba," Kaiba warned.

"What? Anzu will get a kick out of it," Mokuba said before continuing, "The summer before your parents passed, Seto snuck out the house, to ask your dad for your hand in marriage."

"What?!" Anzu squealed.

Mokuba smiled and watched as his brother glared at him.

Anzu started giggling and asked, "What did my dad say?"

Mokuba turned to his brother and Seto let out a sigh, "He sat down across from me at the kitchen table and asked, 'Do you promise to love and protect her for the rest of your life?' I nodded. He then leaned back and said, 'Ask me again in about ten years.'"

Anzu's giggling turned into a violent cough. So Kaiba stood up and said, "Alright that's enough humiliation for the day. Now get out." He then ushered both of them out of the room. Before he pushed her all the way out, she stopped him and said, "One more thing Kaiba." She then stood up on her tippy toes and gave him a peck on the cheek. Kaiba's eyes got wide and she continued, "Thank you for sharing that with me." She then walked out the door leaving both brothers stunned.


End file.
